Progress in the field is dependent on a standard, culturally-sensitive definition of elder abuse, but minimal attention has been given to development of precise classifications and definitions and definitions of the phenomena that come under the rubric of elder mistreatment. While a nation-wide panel of elder mistreatment experts began this process in 1988 (Hudson, 1988, 1991), their taxonomy and definitions do not include the perceptions of the public in general, persons with abuse experience or persons with diverse cultural backgrounds. The proposed study, which use random sampling of adults ages 40 and older and two new instruments developed for interviewing them, will address this gap in information on elder abuse, one of two instruments developed for interviewing them, will address this gap in information on elder abuse, one of the two major forms of elder mistreatment. The goals of the study are to gain greater precision in the classification and definition of elder mistreatment. The goals of the study are to gain greater precision in the classification and definition of elder abuse, and to determine whether statistically and practically significant areas of disagreement exist among population group regarding the taxonomy and definition. Specific aims of the study are to: 1) examine the perceptions of elder abuse held by adults residing in seven culturally diverse counties in North Carolina, 2) identify the demographic variables that are significantly correlated with specific population groups' definitions of elder abuse, including experience as an abuser or abused person, 3) compare the types of elder abuse that the public recognizes with those in the experts' taxonomy, 4) identify the types of abusive behavior that the public believes warrant professional intervention, and 5) develop a taxonomy and a definition of elder abuse that incorporate the public's and expert's perceptions of the essential components.